


Lilith's 98th Birthday

by Daivia



Series: Eberron D&D [1]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Assassination, Ballroom Dancing, Birthday Party, Blood and Violence, Cyre, Dancing, Eberron (Setting), Gen, House Phiarlan, House Thuranni, Khorvaire (Eberron), Lhazaar Principalities, Party, Shadow Schism, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:01:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23959597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daivia/pseuds/Daivia
Summary: Lilith Thuranni comes of age and betrays her family.
Series: Eberron D&D [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727347





	Lilith's 98th Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! So this is some backstory I wrote for my character in my current D&D campaign. For some general context, this is set during the Shadow Schism in the Eberron campaign setting. My DM wanted to know if my character was involved in it, so I wrote this. Hope you like it! Constructive comments are extremely appreciated!

The cool spring breeze blew against Lilith Thuranni, crouched in the brush outside the Paelion compound, waiting for Viceroy Elar’s signal. She had never thought she would find herself in this situation, turning on her house, just after her 98th birthday. Not 24 hours prior, she had been dancing and drinking with these elves and many others in the main House Phiarlan compound, celebrating her coming of age.

And what a party it was. All of House Phiarlan was invited, and all of the members in Cyre had been in attendance. As was customary for elves her age, Eva had announced her adulthood, having completed her training as a dancer. With this, she had also announced her adult name: Lilith. Eva was the first of the next generation of dragonmarked elves in the house to come of age, and she had somehow convinced Baron Elvinar, the head of the house, to host the event in the main House Phiarlan compound. 

To the ball, Eva wore a white wrap dress with oversize short sleeves that hit right above her knee and brown platform sandals. The white fabric had large velvet white lilies sewn into the fabric and the edges of the fabric were bordered with a golden edge with lillies embossed into it, accentuating Eva’s light copper skin. 

As she entered the ballroom, she noticed the excessive amount of decorations, all of them featuring white and yellow lillies. Wreaths were hung from every marble pillar; carefully arranged bouquets were on every table; even the sconces had lillies tied to them with dainty white ribbon. The vaulted ceilings reflected light so that the entire room shone brilliantly and every meticulous detail stood out. Directly in front of her, many circular tables were arranged, each surrounded by several white chairs and covered with a white table cloth, and in the center lay the aforementioned bouquets. These took about about half of the hall; the other half was open space to allow elves to dance and socialize. Off to the left behind the pillars was a large rectangular table with food and hor d'oeuvres being put out; on the opposite side was a similar looking table where a bartender was preparing; Eva spied several bottles of champagne on the table. Finally, at the back of the hall, Eva could see some of House Phiarlan’s best musicians preparing their instruments and practicing trickier passages. The hall was sparsely populated, with a few elves milling about and setting up the finishing touches. 

As Eva admired the decorations, her cousin and best friend, Thia Thuranni, bounded up towards Eva, dark eyes gleaming with excitement. She supposed Thia had showed up early just like Eva had, and she could tell Thia was giddy with anticipation. Thia was wearing a dark blue floral strapless gown which clung to the pale skinned elf’s lithe frame before flowing to the floor, just barely revealing, dark, short heels underneath.

“Didn’t get the color memo?” Eva raised her eyebrows.

Thia rolled her eyes. “Whatever, you’re the only one who looks good in white anyways.” Eva laughed at the comment. 

“What brings you so early?” Eva asked.

“Just wanted to see the hall. They really went all out. What about you?”

“Same here. No complaints,” Eva said as she scanned the room. “Want to stroll the gardens before everyone arrives?” Thia nodded, and two headed out of the hall towards the gardens. It was a bright, sunny day, and the cherry blossoms were blooming in full force above the large rose bushes, all neatly tended. 

“Ugh, I had to get out of the house,” Eva complained. “Father’s been consumed by some issue since the start of the week, but he refuses to tell me what. I could tell he was trying to spend time with me today, but he was still super distant. But like I’m declaring adulthood today! The least he could do is fucking spend some time with his soon to be adult daughter.”

“Yeah that sounds awful,” Thia said, looking at Eva with an empathetic expression. “Yeah my parents have been the same lately. Ever since Viceroy Elar came to talk to them, they’ve been super on edge. But hey, at least my birthday isn’t for another month.”

Eva was getting upset, so she changed the subject. “You have an adult name picked out?” 

“Yeah.” Thia smiled and looked down, seeming a bit embarrassed. “I really like Elorrethni.” 

“Wait, like Baron Elvinor’s family name?” Eva asked, a bit taken aback.

“No, Elorrethni, not Elorrenthi.”

“And what will Elvinor think of it?”

Thia shrugged. “I haven’t asked her. Not sure if I give a shit.” They both laughed.

The pair talked for a few more minutes before noticing the setting sun and deciding to head back to the ballroom. Upon returning, they found it much fuller, with many elves holding drinks and talking. The musicians were playing quiet music that everyone could socialize over. The pair spotted their parents talking in hushed tones, and walked over. Eva’s green eyes mirrored her father’s piercing gaze as she saw him hush the conversation, his skin appearing somehow more pale than usual in his black and silver suit. Eva saw her mother’s copper cheeks flush a bit as though she were embarrassed, and she seemed to try to hide it behind her brown locks which had been curled for the occasion; she almost looked like she was shrinking into her silver gown she was wearing. Thia walked over to her father and stood by him.

“Hi darling,” Thia’s father said to her, giving her a gentle hug. “And hello to you too, Eva. Or should I say Lady Lilith now?”

Eva grinned at him and shot back. “Oh hush you. You’re not supposed to know that.” Eva looked back towards her own father, who seemed to be completely shocked by her presence. An uncomfortable silence followed.

“Mother? Father? Hello?” Eva pressed, somewhat annoyed. “You look like I’ve killed someone.”

Thia and her parents chucked and even Eva’s mother managed a giggle, but Eva’s father just raised his eyebrow.

“Oh my goodness, it was a joke,” Eva said defensively. Her parents still looked perturbed. “Ok what’s going on? Father, I can see you going grey by the second.”

This broke the ice. Eva’s father seemed to remember where he was and he immediately changed his demeanor, smiling gently and looking at his daughter.

“Everything’s fine, Eva,” he reassured her. “It’s not important right now.” As much as Eva could tell that her father meant the latter statement, at least in that moment, she knew from years of experience that her father was lying about the former. She hated when he put on his poker face like this though because, while Eva knew when her father was generally lying, she couldn’t see through his poker face and this fact frustrated her to no end. “Just, don’t let Viceroy Elar corner either of you tonight, ok?” Eva’s father warned.

“Why, is he being creepier than usual?” Thia fired. Everyone laughed. But before she could get an answer, the sound of silverware gently tapping on glass was heard. The music stopped and everyone turned toward the sound. In the center of the ballroom was Baron Elvinor, wearing a black gown which hung off her shoulders, her pale skin contrasting with the dark attire. 

“Attention everybody!” Her voice pierced the crowd. “Now as you all know, we are here to celebrate the coming of age of Eva Thuranni, the first of the next generation of dragonmarked members of House Phiarlan.” She pointed towards Eva, who was standing towards the front of the crowd with her family. “Now as you all know, the dragonmarked…” she continued, Eva scoffing at the mention of the dragonmark. She had grown to despite the mark on the left side of her chest, as it had meant that she was constantly scrutinized and pressured to be a model for her younger cousins. Furthermore, House Phiarlan was extremely protective of its young dragonmarked members, so, unfortunately, that meant Eva enjoyed little freedom and was almost under constant surveillance by the house. This was part of why she was declaring her adulthood early, to leave the overprotective gaze of her family. 

As Elvinor finished speaking, she invited Eva and her family to come up. Eva hid her excitement under a facade of calm as the three of them took to the center of the room. They stood in front of the waiting crowd as her parents turned to look at Eva, both smiling at her. Her father then addressed her.

“Eva, dear, your mother and I are so proud of you. We’ve seen you grow so much these past years into a wonderful and mature woman,” her father said genuinely. “Your mother and I love you very much. Now,” he slipped into a more formal tone, “do you believe you are ready to become a full fledged, adult member of House Phiarlan?”

Eva giggled. “Of course, Father.”

“Hey, I had to ask,” her father noted. This earned a small chuckle from the crowd. “Now, please announce your adult name to everyone.” He gestured towards the waiting elves. 

“Lilith Thuranni.” She beamed towards the crowd. Everyone politely applauded, as Lilith was embraced from behind by both of her parents. “Thank you; I love you both so much,” she whispered to them. 

As Lilith was released from the hug, Baron Elvinor came out and the crowd settled down. 

“Lilith will now perform her debut dance for everyone. Please enjoy Lilith’s first dance as a full member of House Phiarlan!”

The floor was cleared of everyone except for Lilith. The musicians played the opening notes of the song, the second movement of a Serenade for Strings written about 1000 years ago. Lilith’s body swung with the lilting melody, spinning as the violins threw themselves toward the high notes. She looked as though she was waltzing completely on her own, yet she managed to make it look completely natural, almost as though she were both leading the dance and following an invisible partner. As the last note rang out, she faced the captivated audience and curtsied. 

With the pageantry out of the way, the party returned to normal, with many getting food and champagne to continue celebrating. Thia rushed over and practically threw herself at Lilith, embracing the elf in an enthusiastic hug. 

“Lilith, that was so good!” Thia said as she released Lilith, practically jumping up and down as she did so.

“Heh, thanks,” Lilith managed, flustered by Thia’s enthusiasm and overt display of affection.The two burst into raucous laughter as their parents watched from the side of the room. They were just calming down as they were approached by Baron Elvinor.

“That was wonderful, Lilith!” Elvinor said, maintaining her ever calm demeanor. However, Lilith could see her grinning wider than ever. 

Lilith tilted her head and smiled in appreciation. “Thank you, madam.”

Elvinor looked off into the distance. “Reminds me of when I was that young. I really could move back then…” She trailed off, then looked back at Lilith, still grinning. “Of course, I still can.”

“You’re always stunning, madam.”

“As are you, young lady. Do enjoy the party; I hope it’s what you wanted.” 

“It’s perfect. Thank you so much.”

“Of course. Well, I’ll leave you to your fun. I’m certain I’m not the only one who wants to congratulate you tonight.” With that, Elvinor turned towards the buffet table, leaving the pair in the middle of the dance floor.

The rest of the night was a blur of food, wine, congratulations, and dancing. Lilith probably said thank you to more people that night than she had in her entire life, and when she wasn’t talking to someone in House Phiarlan who’s name she couldn’t remember, she was drinking and dancing with Thia and her other cousins. In the middle of all the revelry, her parents gave her two gifts; the first was a beautiful white silk scarf with small bits of gold stitched in so the scarf glittered in the light. Delighted, she wrapped the scarf around her shoulders and wore it for the rest of the evening as a wrap to complement her dress. The second was a beautiful dark wood box containing a pair of decorative daggers with Lilith’s initials engraved in cursive on the bottom of the pommel. Lilith was too drunk to discern more detail from the daggers, so she closed the box and returned it to her parents for safe keeping. After dancing until she could barely stand and drinking copious amounts of champagne, Lilith was escorted home by her much more sober parents.

Upon returning home (and sobering up), Lilith took some time to admire her gifts further. The sheer fabric of the scarf was clearly of high quality; Lilith could tell the garment was very sturdy despite looking quite thin and delicate. It was the perfect accessory for her dances. The daggers puzzled her a bit more however. The steel of the blade was ground razor sharp and shone like a mirror back a Lilith, and the ridges of the hilt were done with a chrome finish which felt good in her hand, offering just the right amount of friction. The dagger guards were swirls which curved up towards the blade, and near the center where the blade met the hilt was a small oval window which had been polished completely smooth, looking more like the blade than the hilt. She picked up one of them; the weight felt almost perfect in her hand, not too heavy to be encumbering, but not too light as to not maintain a trajectory if thrown. Liltih could tell that while they had been made to look ornamental, these daggers were actually deadly weapons. She returned the daggers to their decorative casing.

Lilith snapped back to reality. Yes, the night prior had been fun, but she needed to focus. Any moment now, Viceroy Elar would strike and she needed to be ready. The day prior, he had come over to her parent’s house and explained that he was planning to completely eviscerate the Paelion line. He told her the reason too, but she didn’t remember it quite too well; something about them plotting to kill all of the top leaders in Eberron? She wasn’t quite sure; she didn’t care too much either. She looked down at her black robes, seeing the glint of the daggers she had been given the night prior. Tied around her waist was the scarf, hidden from the light to avoid any glinting and tied loosely to be easily accessible. She then looked up, her back pressed against the cool brick of the house she had chosen. She spied the window sill she planned to enter through and looked up at the bright, large moon. Just then, a shadow flitted by, obscuring her view of the moon for a split second. The mission had begun.

Lilith turned around and silently hoisted herself up to the window. She spied two elves in their opulent sitting room, one reading a large book near the open window and the other meditating with her eyes closed on the other side of the room. She quietly undid her scarf and snuck behind the reading one, wrapping it around his neck in a flash, holding it there. The male elf dropped his book and began struggling against the binding. The book landed with a loud thud on the floor. This startled Lilith, but she held her scarf firm. Unfortunately she saw the other elf stir from the noise; the book had woken her up from her trance. Lilith had been trying to be quiet using the scarf; so much for that plan. Just moments after though, the man went limp, so Lilith extracted the scarf from his body and flitted to the other side of the room. The female elf had finally opened her eyes, and, seeing her husband’s limp body and Lilith come behind her, she screamed. But Lilith was quick. She quickly got the scarf around the other elf’s neck using one hand and clamped her other hand over her mouth. 

However, someone had heard the scream. A pair of young boys came running into the room, finding Lilith strangling their mother, presumably. Lilith looked at them, a bit shocked to see them. The older one saw her pause and lunged at her. In a flash, she released her hand from the female elf’s mouth and threw one of her daggers at him. It lodged itself in the young elf’s neck. Lilith kicked as the young elf’s corpse landed on her, moving it out of her way as the elf she was strangling stopped gasping for breath. She saw out of the corner of her eye the younger elf. He turned and began running away, yelling for help. With the same quick motion, she launched the other dagger at him. It sang through the air before slicing cleanly through the back of his neck to the front, his scream ending abruptly in a gurgle as he fell to the ground, lifeless. 

Lilith tied the scarf loosely around her waist again as silently as she could, quietly berating herself for being so sloppy. She extracted her dagger from the older son’s body and listened for anyone else in the house. When she couldn’t hear anyone, she went over to the other body and extracted her other dagger. She then scoured the house for any signs of life. Elar’s instructions had been to be thorough; leave no one alive. Upon finding no other living elves in the house, she left through the window she entered.

As she lept out, she heard more screams. About a score of elves were running, trying to escape the Paelion compound. Apparently, Lilith hadn’t been the most sloppy of her colleagues that night. Fortunately, the house Lilith had infiltrated was near the edge of the compound, so she readied herself to cut them off. She ran towards them, watching as several of them fell to the Thuranni assassins behind them. She loved this feeling, the running, the screaming, the  _ chaos _ . This is what Lilith Thuranni lived for.

Upon nearing them, Lilith took cover under a bush. As the leader of the pack came near, she launched one of her daggers at him, the knife gouging through the left side of his neck as he fell to his right. The rest of the fleeing elves stopped short as Lilith emerged, revealing their worst nightmare. They had been cornered. With her remaining dagger, Lilith lunged at the nearest elf, slicing her neck open using the dagger. Two more elves then came at her from either side, unarmed. She leapt to her left, untying her scarf as she did so and wrapping it around one of the elf’s torsos. He recoiled towards Lilith, but before could get close, he was met with a knife in his stomach. He fell to the ground. The other elf jumped at her. With the finesse of a dancer, Lilith dodged the attack, pulling her scarf back towards her as she did. The elf, having missed, left his back exposed and Liltih threw her second dagger into the center of his back. She heard the satisfying sound of splitting bone as the other elf collapsed. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Lilith saw another elf coming up behind her. She ducked to her left as a rapier jabbed to her right from behind. Instinctively, Lilith took her scarf in both hands and looped it around the attacker’s neck. Surprised, the elf dropped the sword. Lilith then launched her foot into the bottom of the other elf’s chin. She heard a satisfying crunch as the bones in the elf’s neck crumbled between the two forces. She released the tension and the elf collapsed.

Lilith’s next foe ran in front of her and swung a powerful blow towards her head. She ducked straight down, grabbing the dropped rapier. She jumped up and spun, the blade of the rapier facing outward. To her surprise, she felt three points of resistance rather than one. Three elves then collapsed around her. She must not have noticed another pair of elves sneaking up behind her. They now all had deep gashes in various body parts from the rapier. 

From behind her, Lilith heard a squelching sound of a dagger being dislodged from a body. She turned towards the sound, but it was too late. The dagger, one of hers, had been clumsily thrown at her. It slid itself into her left thigh, but Lilith barely registered any pain. Running completely on adrenaline, she yanked the dagger from her leg and shot it back at her assailant. The assailant was launched backwards as the dagger slid cleanly between her eyes.

Lilith turned to the remaining two elves. They stared back at her wide-eyed. They then turned to run. Lilith quickly collected her daggers, then gave chase. As she neared the pair, she sent both knives flying. Each dagger slid through the back of their target’s necks. The elves collapsed forward.

Satisfied, Lilith stopped to retrieve her daggers. As she stood surrounded by bodies, she basked in the despair, the turmoil of it all. She knew the next days would be even more tumultuous when the main house found the result in the morning, and she let the thrill of the unknown fill her with excitement. She looked absolutely radiant in the moonlight as it glinted off of her scarf.

She truly was an adult now. 


End file.
